High School as Told in Anime

I have expressed my love for anime in more than one occasion and though I am not a full-fledged otaku, I can say I totally understand why they get so much attention, so much love and even get adapted to live-action series or movies!

Personally, I enjoy watching anime more than reading manga. Well, for one, I get more into the story that way. (Feeling ko ako yung bida haha!) Besides, actually seeing things / situations pan out whilst they move is better than seeing them in flat, usually no color pages.

Though I've watched other genre, I prefer watching anime set in high school, depicting the struggle of those years, the friendship, the falling-out and yes, the innocent and blissful first love. These are mostly categorized as shoujo, shounen, slice of life, comedy, melodrama and romance. In line with this, I decided to write about my top 10 high school themed anime which I never get tired of watching or just struck a cord in my life, so to speak.

Read on and see if my top 10 is similar to yours!

1. Kimi to Boku (Seasons 1 & 2)  

Image from fanpop.com

This anime is among my favorites. This is based on the Japanese manga written and illustrated by Kiichi Hotta. The story line is relatively simple and revolves around four teenage boys; Shun Matsuoka, Kaname Tsukahara and the twins Yūta and Yūki Asaba.

They were all classmates in preschool, became friends all throughout their boyhood until high school. They went to the same high school although attended different classes. The four teens continued to hang out together, especially during lunch breaks and whenever they have the time after school. Later, they met (again) Chizuru Tachibana and subsequently became friends with him.

There were references to cats of which the characters had their equivalent.

The anime not only covers their unlikely friendship (that despite their different personalities, they were still together and tolerated each other) but also their quirks with their families and interest or lack thereof in the opposite sex.

True friends!

I really like this anime since it's not dragging and it's very relatable. I even remember some scenes in it that were similar to my own if not my friends' experiences. It did not go overboard and just showed the relatively exciting / mundane experiences we all have during these years. Plus, there were cute and cuddly inserts of feline friends! They were representations of each protagonists and they were often in really adorable situations.

 2. Itazura na Kiss (Mischievous Kiss)

image from animelist.net

Itazura na Kiss is a shoujo anime series written and illustrated by the late Kaoru Tada, serialized and published sometime in 1990. It became a big hit and was well-received by the public. It was adapted to an anime in 2008. The manga inspired live action series of the same name in Japan, the first in 1996 and in 2013, "Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo" was released; whilst "It Started with a Kiss" was released in Taiwan in 2005 and "Playful Kiss" was released in Korea in 2010.

The anime follows the life of the not-so smart high school senior Kotoko Aihara, who finally mustered the courage to confess to Naoki Irie after falling in love with him and admiring him from afar. But she was rejected as the latter told her he was not interested in stupid girls. To make matters worse, her flat-out rejection became the talk in the campus. Aihara was devastated as she did not expect such from an exemplary student like Irie. At the very least, she expected him to take her confession more amicably. Due such, Aihara decided not to pursue him anymore.

However, Aihara had another misfortune when their newly built house succumbed to a rather low-scale earthquake. Her father's childhood friend came to their aid and offered them shelter. But to her surprise and further embarrassment, the said friend happened to be Naoki Irie's father! Aihara now has to deal  not just with Naoki's cold attitude but also his younger brother's catty attitude on a daily basis.

Although Aihara's relationship with the Irie brothers is strained, she has a very good relationship with the parents, especially with their mother. Mrs. Irie is very fond of Aihara as she has no daughter herself  and both her children are not very warm and caring. She has no qualms in coming up with schemes to make Naoki and Kotoko closer. She very much favors her to be her daughter-in-law. In fact, she already thought of where to put the couple's bedroom in their new house's floor plan.

image from tumblr.com

Mrs. Irie is the ultimate dream mother-in-law. She's very supportive and doesn't look down on Aihara's intelligence and skills (or lack thereof). She is even thankful that Aihara had somewhat changed Naoki's cold demeanor. I absolutely love her! She made their love story even more compelling.

To me, this anime screams fated! Who would have thought that the boy you've professed love for isn't a real stranger after all! The story follows through their eventual struggles  with what they what to do in their lives, their coming to terms of each others' strengths and weaknesses. Also, it portrayed that sometimes using intelligence isn't enough or isn't the way to go at all. Life shouldn't be lived with just your smarts, sometimes you have to let go of all rhyme and reason and use your heart make a decision.

This is my favorite among the 25 episodes when her one-sided love finally bore fruit!

 

3. Bakuman (Seasons 1, 2, 3)

Image from amazon.com

This anime is from the manga of the same title created by the very same team responsible for Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. This is about two high school boys Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi. They were classmates but are not really close friends in the beginning. They eventually developed friendship and partnership throughout the story as they embarked in a career where their individual talents took life.

Moritaka has a knack for drawing whilst Takagi is a brilliant student who weaves really good stories.Takagi convinces Moritaka to use his skills in making a manga with him. However, Moritaka is not too keen on the idea itself as his uncle (a mangaka) whom he was very close to had died without having his dream fulfilled. At the same time, Moritaka was having a crisis as he did not have a plan for his future unlike his peers.

Eventually, he gave in to Takagi and realized that he liked drawing as much as his late uncle did. Then, he found out that his crush and classmate Miho Azuki was planning a career as a voice actress! Caught up in the moment, he told her of his feelings. Apparently, Azuki also has feelings for him. The couple then came to an understanding and promised to marry once they have fulfilled their respective dreams.

I usually stick to anime I can finish within the day but I made an exception for this one, as the story pulls at my heartstrings! Also, I like how it showcased the during their high school and their after high school years. There were a lot of side characters but I like how they were all connected to each other. The anime showed the protagonists' individual growth and their struggles. Further, I really like the fact that it showed that hard work and commitment bear fruit in time, you just have to be steadfast and remain faithful to your dreams.

4. Tonari No Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster)

image from crunchyroll.com

This one is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Robico. The female lead Shizuku Mizutani has no social life, no love life and no care about the world around her. She has committed herself to her studies and her future. Her seatmate, Haru Yoshida, on the other hand, is her complete opposite. He is seen as a delinquent and has not attended class since it began.


But Yoshida is actually very smart and a really sensitive guy; albeit sloppy in manner, a bit tactless and has issues with his family. He is estranged with his father and older brother, the reason why he stays in an arcade shop owned by his cousin. He skipped his middle school years altogether due to a violent outburst and instead used his free time to self-study. He doesn't have to try as hard and can ace tests without any effort much to Mizutani's annoyance.

The two's initial meeting was not exactly love at first sight. Their love story wasn't the typical onewhich makes it all the more exciting to watch as you'll never really know how one of them would react. They were far from the average high school students. Their reactions were either very extreme or too calm (bordering to disinterest). There are other noted characters who helped them realize what they meant to each other along the way.

So cuteee!

I enjoyed this anime because the protagonists were quite "cool". Their insecurities and needs were later unraveled, but such only made the characters more endearing. They were both clueless and naive in a lot of ways. They eventually learned how it was to ctually "care" for others, to act in a socially acceptable manner and express their feelings.

Aww. . . Seriously, who wouldn't fall for that?!

There were also a lot of push-and-pull with the leads and "I love you's" were dropped earlier than one would expect but it doesn't make it less kilig!

5. Ore Mongatari!! (My Love Story!! / It's My Story!!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Love_Story!!

This one departs from my customary list of must-watch anime of which protagonists were either portrayed as drop-dead gorgeous campus hottie or the swoon-worthy bad boy that would make your panty drop! (Hehe). But then again, a good friend who is also so into anything and everything Japanese recommended this to me. Since I trust her judgement, I checked it out and fell in love with it too!

Okay, so the anime is about this big, brawly macho man Takeo Gōda who is popular with his male peers and though well-liked by the female population, seemed to always be friend-zoned. The girls use him as a means to get close with his best friend Makoto Sunakawa, who is a hottie but a relative snob.

But despite such regular occurrence, the two have remained best of pals since (1) Goda was never under the illusion that he was very pleasant to the eye and (2) he also thinks his best friend is a catch and (3) Sunakawa has high regard for their friendship and (4) has always been aware of the girls ploy to endear themselves to the naive but sweet Goda.

Sunakawa always looks after Goda this way and is wary of the people around his friend because of this. Then came the petite and very feminine Rinko Yamato whom Goda chanced upon in a train and happened to save from a pervert. Yamato developed feelings for Goda and tried to get closer to him from then on. This was a pleasant surprise to Goda who was so used to girls pawning on his friend Sunakawa and not him. The succeeding episodes tackled on other people's perception on what they all conceived as a mismatched romance.

I like this anime because its a novelty in the sense that he is not the lead we are so used to watching. He doesn't look that great, he doesn't have a rotten personality nor an enormous ego. He's also from a  normal family and has no issues with his parents. In fact, he is a doting brother to his baby sibling (don't remember if its a boy or a girl) and pretty much an obedient son. He's just an ordinary boy with a really good heart. Its kinda gratifying to see the good guy ending up with the pretty (and equally nice) girl.

6. Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince)

Image from crunchyroll.com

A shoujo manga written by Ayuko Hatta, this was adapted into an anime in the latter part of 2014. The story line is about the 16-year old high school girl Erika Shinohara, somewhat average and of a friendly demeanor but has the proclivity to tell lies, particularly about having a boyfriend. This was due to the fact that she constantly hang-out with two rather promiscuous-looking girls she identified as friends. In order to fit in with her two friends who have boyfriends themselves, she took a random picture of a "hottie" supposedly of her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, said hottie, Kyōya Sata attended the same school as hers and was pretty much a campus crush. He was known as the good-looking and affable guy. Thinking to appeal to his good nature, Shinohara told him of her predicament and asked him to help her out by pretending to be her boyfriend. Sata proved to more than meets the eye as he agreed but in the sense that he would treat Shinohara not as a girlfriend but as a pet dog for his bidding and entertainment.



Despite being 12 episodes only, this anime covered everything; from their meeting, to their love story and even the reason why Sata ended up twisted. Plus, Shinohara got to meet the future in-laws! The extra characters were also not that "extra" since they were there for a couple more episodes and had really contributed to the protagonists' developing love story.

I've watched this for the nth time and it never gets old! There's something about this guy that just makes you go oh, lala! And frankly, I love the fact that Shinohara was the one who confessed. I know, I know, for something not real I'm in way over my head with this!

 
7. Toradora!
A Japanese light novel series by Yuyuko Takemiya and illustrated by Yasu; Toradora is a series consisted of 10 novels released in between 2006-2009. This was adapted into a spin-off, an internet radio show and serialized into manga and later on as anime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toradora!

The story line is about Ryūji Takasu, a high school sophomore who is often mistaken as a delinquent due to his intense gaze. Because of this, his classmates are wary of him. Although saddened by such, Takasu continues to live his life as normally as he could, despite being the one who looks after his mother Yasuko Takasu (a single parent and makes a living as a hostess in a local bar). Upon the start of the new semester, he becomes classmates with his one and only good friend Yūsaku Kitamura and then much to his delight, finds out that his crush, the bubbly Minori Kushieda is also in the same class as well as her best friend, the notorious Taiga Aisaka.

Aisaka a.k.a palmtop tiger gets quite testy with others and for some reason seems to single out Takasu. Takasu could not fathom the reason for such and tries to get along with her. They then find out that they were not only classmates but also next door neighbors, inevitably paving the way for them to spend much time together.

Despite her rather short stature, Aisaka bullies Takasu to do her bidding. She lives alone and does not know the basics when it comes to household chores, thus Takasu comes to her rescue, cleaning and cooking for her. Oftentimes, she drops by his house for meals and has already been treated as part of the family by his mother.

They also found out that they have crushes on the others' best friends. They agreed to help each other out but their close association eventually is interpreted differently. In the course of the story, Aisaka's family issues also come to light and other characters are introduced. They eventually develop feelings  that border more to love than just mere friendship. Watch the 25 episodes and find out how their story turns out.

8. Kimi Ni Todoke (From Me to You)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimi_ni_Todoke

This is a romance manga by Karuho Shiina and published sometime in 2005. It won the best shoujo manga award in the 32nd Annual Kodansha Manga Award and was nominated in the first Manga Taisho in 2008. It has two anime adaptations (Seasons 1 and 2) and a live-action adaption in 2010.

Sawako Kuronuma is a socially-awkward but good-natured girl who also bear close resemblance to Sadako (The Ring). Hence, it was hard for her to make friends or even have a decent conversation with her peers as they tend to avoid her completely. But despite such, Sawako strives to make things better for everyone, (by volunteering to do things nobody wants) something she thought no one notices.

But unbeknownst to her, Shota Kazehaya, a classmate and a campus crush, notices everything about her and in fact has a thing for her since he first saw her by the school amidst the falling cherry blossoms. Kazehaya, befriends her and tries to help her out in every turn, which made Sawako in awe with him and sort of "idolizes" him.

She then became well-acquainted with two other classmates Chizuru and Ayane, who are close friends since the beginning with such strong personalities. The two initially were intrigued and somewhat sympathized with Sawako but they were able to see her good character and thus regarded her as a real friend from then on. However, Sawako became the target of intrigues and was bullied for being too close with Kazehaya and even for supposedly using Chizuru and Ayane. She was able to address this and strengthened her bond with the two girls as well as get Kazehaya's complete trust, much to the other girls' disgruntlement.

Friends who has your very best interest at heart

What I find really nice with this anime is that not only did Sawako gain friends and found love (albeit gradually and gruelingly), she also found herself and her place in the society / school. The trials she went through to have a normal high school life was such a difficult one. So when she finally established good relationship with Ayane Yano, Chizuru Yoshida, Shota Kazehaya and even Ryu Sanada and the rest of the class, it was the sweetest reward. Season 1 tackled on her quest for camaraderie, though it was obvious to the other characters that there was something blossoming between Kazehaya and Sawako; unfortunately, Sawako was very oblivious to it. Season 2, on the other hand, focused on the their love story and is shorter than the previous season. Some backstories are also seen, particularly that of Sawako's love rival, Kurumi Kurumizawa.

It might seem dragging at some point, but you gotta understand that Sawako has yet to know what "normal" is. Therefore whatever happened or whatever was said, she took it at its face value. She is innocent in many ways and quite timid in nature but she stands her ground for whatever she knows is right and that makes her so lovable. She has no malice towards others even those who did her wrong. Eventually, others noticed her qualities and it wasn't long in coming for her good fortune to catch on.

9. Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Spring_Ride

This is a romantic shoujo manga written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka, serialized in February 2011 and ended in February 2015. It was adapted into an anime in July 2014 and a live-action was released in December of the same year. A drama CD was later released and translations of the manga have been printed in countries such as Germany, Poland, Italy and Taiwan.

This anime basically shows the right love at the wrong time between Futaba Yoshioka and Kou Mabuchi (Kou Tanaka). The two met sometime during their middle school years and have been attracted to each other at the get-go. They promised to meet during a festival of which Kou had stood her up. Futaba was left with much questions especially when she never saw Kou in school again. There were other boys who showed interest in her but she never got over Kou.

Now in high school, Futaba adopted a less than charming personality to put off any admirers and avoid being ostracized by the girls as she had previously experienced. Though, she enjoyed the company of some of the girls in class, she was less than enthused with their conversations especially when it involved badmouthing another girl Futaba identified with.

Then, she met Kou again, but he was far different from the boy she knew. All her old feelings and questions that plagued her throughout the years came rushing back but how can she talk to him again when he was a complete stranger to her now? In the course of the story, Futaba learned that Kou is actually their homeroom teacher's younger brother and that the two have been separated when their parents divorced. Kou lived with their mother in the outskirts of the city while his brother stayed with their father. Kou then had to look after his mother when she fell ill and dealt with her death by himself.

He then moved back to the city and stayed with his father but their relationship took a drastic change. Kou was a virtual stranger to his family, he changed his name, often stayed out late and skipped meals with them altogether. His brother had confided in Futaba that Kou resented him for all that he had gone through. Despite Kou's disinterest Futaba continuously engaged him in studies and in other things that would make him participate.

Their romance was a standstill but it was evident that they still liked each other. Futaba broke up with her superficial friends and befriended another classmate Yūri Makita whom she identified with. They became really good friends and eventually became rivals for Kou's attention and affection. They also became good friends with Shūko Murao, who liked Kou's brother, Tanaka-sensei, as well as with Aya Kominato, who has a one-sided crush on Shuko. Eventually, through Futaba's persistence, Kou managed to address his issues and made up with his family.

 10. Bokura Ga Ita (We were There)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Were_There_%28manga%29

This is a romance manga by Yuki Obata which was serialized from 2002-2012. It went on hiatus in 2008 but resumed a year later. It was then adapted into a 26-episode anime which my peers was totally hooked on.

My friends absolutely love this anime. I like this too but honestly, I wasn't able to finish the anime and instead watched the live-action. As compared to the others I've listed thus far, this is more of the heavy stuff.

The protagonists Motoharu Yano and Nanami Takahashi were classmates in high school. Nanami detested Motaharu as she could not understand why he was so popular. Moreover, he was too happy-go-lucky and too irresponsible in her esteem. However, they had a lot of time to be together as they needed to work alongside each other being their class' president and vice-president.




To cut the chase, they eventually become a couple, but Motaharu still has hang-ups with his dead ex-girlfriend. They came to a point where they had to reevaluate their relationship. They gave their relationship another chance. Motaharu and his mother then moved to Tokyo.

Despite the distance the couple maintained their relationship. But due to certain circumstances, Motaharu stopped any communication with Nanami as well as their other friends. Motaharu's best friend Takeuchi then developed feelings for Nanami. He became her confidant during the times that Motaharu was absent in Nanami's life. But Nanami remained faithful to Motaharu and waited for him as best she can.

Years later, Nanami met Aki Sengenji, who became classmates with Motaharu in Tokyo. Aki had feelings for Motaharu but has long dealt with such and knew of Nanami and Motaharu's love story. She was the one who found out of Motaharu's current whereabouts and told Nanami about it

Later, it was revealed that Motaharu's mother was diagnosed with cancer and became paranoid when his biological father's legal wife came by to see her. She became increasingly controlling and paranoid. At one time, Motaharu told her that he was off to visit Nanami but his mother thought he was leaving her for good and thus committed suicide. This tragedy prompted Motaharu to cut ties with everything he has known.

Take had told Nanami of his feelings but was rejected. Despite such, he continued to be a good friend to her. It was also revealed that Motaharu moved in with Yuri Yamamoto, their former classmate and his ex-girlfriend's younger sister, with whom Motaharu had sex with in the past.

As I said earlier, this anime / manga covers quite a few years and has more than one dilemma. The love story of the protagonists is very turbulent. Their time together in high school is but a small part of the whole story. Anyway, they met again and though they didn't immediately rekindle their romance, they learned that they still love each other just as much as they did when they were younger, or maybe even more.
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There are actually a lot more high school-themed anime that I've watched or has yet to watch. But the ones I've listed here are the ones that I still watch over and over again or just simply remember. If you can think of any anime that is a good one, do let me know, I'm always looking for something to watch and talk about with my friends.

Til then!

P.S The images used in this post are screenshots of when I was watching the anime unless stated otherwise, the gif are from giphy.com and the details about the manga (the mangaka, year published, adaptation, etc...) are from wikipedia.org